Update: Cyclist killed in Kendal A591 bypass crash named (From The Westmorland Gazette)

2 cyclists killed in this area in 2 months. The previous death was at Levens. I did not know this unfortunate cyclist, but I have cycled a lot around this area. What can we say?

I didn't witness the accident but I do know that conditions were dreadful. My partner was travelling home along the A591 towards Kendal and passed the accident scene. He said the fog was horrendous.

Car drivers think they own the road. Nearly every time I go out on my bike someone cuts in front of me. The worse place is the garage near the old grammar school. Three times last year someone in a hurry for petrol cut in front of me when I was cycling past. Once at Helm Drive at traffic lights I was knocked off. The passenger in the car looked to see if I was o.k. Then driver drove on. The cycling lane in town is bad as I am continually being pushed out of the way by cars in Stricklandgate section as they are approaching the junction near Maudes Street. There are 10 cycling fatalities per day in the UK.

HP is correct. What many drivers also think is that they can can always get away with 'I didn't see you' and receive a sympathetic hearing from the police. What they mean is that they didn't see anything that looked like a 4+ wheeled motor vehicle and anything else doesn't count.

I came off (Driving)the bypass not long ago when it was dark at 4pm travelling into Kendal,the markings are all worn out,I stopped and was ready to pull out but i saw a very faint light so i stopped,then a cyclist went passed me wearing dark clothing and inadequate lighting.
Travelling on a bypass ill equiped and when it's dark or foggy your asking for trouble.
As for the last two comments they may well be careful cyclists but in general they are cretanus road users with a total disregard to the Highway Code.
I can't remember the last time a saw a hand signal.
Youngsters should be tought the Highway Code at school and do a proficiency test.
As for HP, today the pedestrian crossing past K (Doomed)Village 2 lanes stopped young lady walks across guess who dose'nt stop and nearly wipes her out ,yep cyclist.

Agree the roadmarkings and cats eyes need replacing on that stretch, I drive the northern stretch every day in the dark at this time of the year

Generally cyclists are ok but there's one that regular rides along a stretch of Kendal roads ignoring all manor of crossings, pedestrians and doesn't seem to have an over all awareness of the space around - I do worry for them

Lakeuk wrote:
Agree the roadmarkings and cats eyes need replacing on that stretch, I drive the northern stretch every day in the dark at this time of the year

Generally cyclists are ok but there's one that regular rides along a stretch of Kendal roads ignoring all manor of crossings, pedestrians and doesn't seem to have an over all awareness of the space around - I do worry for them

Thank you,when traffic comes under the bypass you have to be careful.
As for the markings and cats eyes being replaced,I don't think even 'Billy Graham' would have hope for that happening.
To busy on A Boards,New Road etc,etc,etc,etc!!!!

Lakeuk wrote:
Agree the roadmarkings and cats eyes need replacing on that stretch, I drive the northern stretch every day in the dark at this time of the year

Generally cyclists are ok but there's one that regular rides along a stretch of Kendal roads ignoring all manor of crossings, pedestrians and doesn't seem to have an over all awareness of the space around - I do worry for them

Thank you,when traffic comes under the bypass you have to be careful.
As for the markings and cats eyes being replaced,I don't think even 'Billy Graham' would have hope for that happening.
To busy on A Boards,New Road etc,etc,etc,etc!!!!

I agree with Moonbase - living out in the "sticks" I find that cyclists are very difficult to spot at a distance & even near to as their lighting is inadeqate for the conditions & they do not appear to wear any hi-viz - quite frankly they are near invisible. As for daylight hours during weekends in our neck of the woods they frequently have road races & have a total disregard for anyone else on the road, frequently riding side by side & if one pips a horn are given a rude gesture. I think that a lot of the responsibility for accidents lie with the cyclists. Having said that I am sorry that someone has lost his life.

whiskeydelta wrote:
I agree with Moonbase - living out in the "sticks" I find that cyclists are very difficult to spot at a distance & even near to as their lighting is inadeqate for the conditions & they do not appear to wear any hi-viz - quite frankly they are near invisible. As for daylight hours during weekends in our neck of the woods they frequently have road races & have a total disregard for anyone else on the road, frequently riding side by side & if one pips a horn are given a rude gesture. I think that a lot of the responsibility for accidents lie with the cyclists. Having said that I am sorry that someone has lost his life.

Quite agree.
Shame at a loss of life.
Double breasted riding was illegal in my day.
Also to add to the debate when these youngsters progress through life to 16, they get on mopeds and have the same regard as a cyclist.
Back in my days in 1865 the police would come into school (Primary) and hold a Highway Quiz involving schools from round about.(Bit like screen test)
The presence of a 'Traffic Officer'made every child be aware as he would be asking the questions.
All classes attended and it was a fantastic education of road safety.

have i accidently logged on to the daily mail website?

whiskeydelta wrote:
I agree with Moonbase - living out in the "sticks" I find that cyclists are very difficult to spot at a distance & even near to as their lighting is inadeqate for the conditions & they do not appear to wear any hi-viz - quite frankly they are near invisible. As for daylight hours during weekends in our neck of the woods they frequently have road races & have a total disregard for anyone else on the road, frequently riding side by side & if one pips a horn are given a rude gesture. I think that a lot of the responsibility for accidents lie with the cyclists. Having said that I am sorry that someone has lost his life.

Totally agree, I am sorry about the loss of life but I personally think you would have to have a deathwish to cycle along a busy A-road in the daytime never mind at night in the fog, when there is a path at the side of the road. The way these cyclists think they own the road it's no wonder there are so many accidents - you can easily expect a car driver to become impatient if they are being forced to drive 50 miles an hour BELOW the speed limit, with the cyclist then speeding up when you have a chance to overtake. I believe that driving that slow in a car is illegal or at least you would need a flashing orange light. I can understand if people want to 'save the environment' and cycle to work, and that's OK in cities and big towns but out on busy A-roads and country roads it really is unacceptable. Whenever you hear of accident involving a cyclist and more than one car/vehicle you can almost guarantee that the cyclist was in the wrong - it's hard to believe both car drivers where in the wrong.

Many of the comments here display the not uncommon belief among drivers that you're bound to kill a few cyclists, and it's their own fault for being on the road. They appear to think it is quite acceptable to kill in the interests of their freedom to drive without due care and attention, go as quickly as they like even in conditions like fog, speak on the phone, smoke, mess around loading CDs and so on. As for the comment that if an accident involves a cyclist and more than one vehicle, the cyclist is 'almost guaranteed to be in the wrong'; this suggests a smug complacency the leads me to hope I'm never cycling near him.
The cyclist at Levens was smashed into as he passed the slip road and driven under the wheels of another car. It was dark, so some people will say it was his own fault for cycling on that road. I have lights that are about as bright as possible, and I still get people cutting me up under the delusion that they are ace drivers who can do anything.
A car is a lethal weapon, and people should remember their responsibilities every time they set off.

It is rather pathetic and distasteful for the likes of Moonbase to spout anti-cycling rhetoric on the report of someone's death.
Your comments amount to little more than narrow-minded prejudice.
The Times newspaper has been running a very well-received campaign calling for improved safety for cyclists. Cyclists are entitled to use the roads without fear of death or injury and it is very concerning to think that someone with your ignorance and arrogance is sharing the roads with them.

Agreed. It is often difficult to understand them because of the poor grammar and spelling, but there is no mistaking the mentality of the writer of 'with the cyclist then speeding up when you have a chance to overtake'.
Tragically, despite extolling the benefits of 'a fantastic education of road safety', they appear to have learned little from it. They should fear the possibility of causing an accident every time they set out.

I think Moonbase's username says it all!

A challenge for you Moonbase - try cycling. Then you'll really see who the 'cretanus' (I think the word you're looking for is Cretinous) road users really are.
Because its the CYCLIST's fault when someone tries to turn left through them. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a motorist pulls out from a give way into a cyclist. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a lorry overtakes a cyclist, only to swing across and slam brakes on to stop. Its the CYCLIST's fault when someone drives on the wrong side of the road, forcing them into the hedge. It's the CYCLISTS's fault when, having indicated right and moved into the right hand filter lane, some **** tries to overtake the cyclist turning right. Its the CYCLIST's fault that you are unable to see adequately to drive safely. :Facepalm:

Have you never seen a stream of Taxis going through red lights by the K village? By you're logic, all taxi drivers must therefore deserve to be driven over by an artic.

cas220: "cycle along a busy A-road in the daytime never mind at night in the fog, when there is a path at the side of the road."
That would be illegal, and something that (quite reasonably) gets criticised. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Have you actually SEEN the path you're referring too? Its less than 4" wide in places and what little tarmac surface remains is in lumps. And that's ignoring the corners of metal signs conveniently placed at head height.
Cycling on a fast road in the fog at night is never a great idea. But it doesn't mean its the cyclists fault if a motorist isn't driving with due care. Due care means taking into account the weather & light.
I'll also point out that I've overtaken a car whilst riding my pushbike on the dual carriageway between Kendal and Brettargh holt! I've also had to slam brakes on in my car as someone decides it OK to pull out of Sizergh Barn into two lanes of dual carriageway traffic, oblivious, and tootle along at 20 mph to the slip road, where they turn off - ignoring the fact there's an alternative route that won't cause an accident.

An important point is the view of some motorists that it's the responsibility of the cyclist to get out of the way, and their fault if they don't.
I recall being hit (not injured beyond knuckles grazed by the side of the car) while actually turning right through a mini-roundabout. Bright daylight, I was already on the roundabout and the woman just charged straight across and said she 'didn't see' me. The police wanted to know if I was signalling right throughout the whole manoeuvre- cyclists will know the answer, and some of the motorists here won't care.
There is a difference between minimising one's chance of being killed while cycling (the method of greatest efficacy being 'never cycle') and the just attribution of blame when a cyclist is killed. There is a parallel with women's clothing: I think it is now accepted that women may wear whatever clothes they like within the law without it being deemed to be their own fault if they are raped.

I know that the general issues regarding road use are important and worthy of debate. However I think we should all remember that the investiagtion into the cause of this particular collision is not known as yet and will probably not be so for some time.
As with politics, religion etc. it is all too easy to be partisan and point out the faults of those you do not approve of whilst not recognising any faults of your own. I know there are some terrible cyclists. There are also some terrible car drivers. Equally there are plenty in both camps who are perfectly safe and considerate.
I am glad that a couple of people on here have tried to calm things down a bit. I am sorry if this sounds pompous but I think we should all remember that somewhere there is a grieving family. If we lost a loved one would we appreciate a lot of strangers debating whether it was their fault?

This letter above almost invariably crops up whenever a cyclist or pedestrian (recent case near Ulverston) is killed by a motorist- someone urges others not to rush to judgement and expresses the view that the investigation should take its course, and people shouldn't discuss it at all because discussion might upset someone. I don't think it is discussion that upsets the family of the deceased. The aim is to reduce the chance of such deaths occurring, and this aim is not assisted by pretending the deaths have not happened.

WilliamT wrote:
This letter above almost invariably crops up whenever a cyclist or pedestrian (recent case near Ulverston) is killed by a motorist- someone urges others not to rush to judgement and expresses the view that the investigation should take its course, and people shouldn't discuss it at all because discussion might upset someone. I don't think it is discussion that upsets the family of the deceased. The aim is to reduce the chance of such deaths occurring, and this aim is not assisted by pretending the deaths have not happened.

No, I am specifically not saying that these issues should not be discussed. I most definitely am saying that we should not rush to judgement and yes, however tedious it may seem we should wait for the facts to be established before expressing a view on how this particular incident was caused. People making judgements based on their gut feeling and intuition are frequently wrong no matter how strong those feelings are. That is why we have an expensive legal system (no matter how imperfect) to cooly make judgenments based on evidence. My point here was that people were making assumptions without knowing the facts. I do however appreciate what you said in the post before my last and agree with much of it, particularly the last sentence.

Guanajuato wrote:
I think Moonbase's username says it all!

A challenge for you Moonbase - try cycling. Then you'll really see who the 'cretanus' (I think the word you're looking for is Cretinous) road users really are.
Because its the CYCLIST's fault when someone tries to turn left through them. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a motorist pulls out from a give way into a cyclist. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a lorry overtakes a cyclist, only to swing across and slam brakes on to stop. Its the CYCLIST's fault when someone drives on the wrong side of the road, forcing them into the hedge. It's the CYCLISTS's fault when, having indicated right and moved into the right hand filter lane, some **** tries to overtake the cyclist turning right. Its the CYCLIST's fault that you are unable to see adequately to drive safely. :Facepalm:

Have you never seen a stream of Taxis going through red lights by the K village? By you're logic, all taxi drivers must therefore deserve to be driven over by an artic.

Your user name is'nt much better.
You come across as a philistine and a very bitter person and don't seem to want to contribute to a tradgic case.
Just yourself,and as for cycling it is none of your business!!!
And as for your ****** in your comment says it all.
A stream of 'Taxis' from K Village.............
...lol no one goes there,I'd love to here a taxi drivers response?
My views were not ment to offend cyclists but only to highlight what i see on a daily basis.
I proposed that educating people on the highway code might help further accidents all you've done is moan.
I suggest that if you feel so hard done to and want a greater presence on the road you should get a bike just like the 'Chuckle Brothers' drive!!!!!
To Me To You

Moonbase wrote:

Guanajuato wrote:
I think Moonbase's username says it all!

A challenge for you Moonbase - try cycling. Then you'll really see who the 'cretanus' (I think the word you're looking for is Cretinous) road users really are.
Because its the CYCLIST's fault when someone tries to turn left through them. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a motorist pulls out from a give way into a cyclist. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a lorry overtakes a cyclist, only to swing across and slam brakes on to stop. Its the CYCLIST's fault when someone drives on the wrong side of the road, forcing them into the hedge. It's the CYCLISTS's fault when, having indicated right and moved into the right hand filter lane, some **** tries to overtake the cyclist turning right. Its the CYCLIST's fault that you are unable to see adequately to drive safely. :Facepalm:

Have you never seen a stream of Taxis going through red lights by the K village? By you're logic, all taxi drivers must therefore deserve to be driven over by an artic.

Your user name is'nt much better.
You come across as a philistine and a very bitter person and don't seem to want to contribute to a tradgic case.
Just yourself,and as for cycling it is none of your business!!!
And as for your ****** in your comment says it all.
A stream of 'Taxis' from K Village.............

...lol no one goes there,I'd love to here a taxi drivers response?
My views were not ment to offend cyclists but only to highlight what i see on a daily basis.
I proposed that educating people on the highway code might help further accidents all you've done is moan.
I suggest that if you feel so hard done to and want a greater presence on the road you should get a bike just like the 'Chuckle Brothers' drive!!!!!
To Me To You

He said "by the K Village", which to me sounds like he means Taxis passing the village on Lound Road, not going to and from it.

I can't quite believe some of the comments on here and how diserspectful they are.

My condolences to anyone that knew him.
In response to all the insensitive comments on here - here's my two penneth.
I have cycled extensively, France, Spain, Italy, China, Tibet, Nepal, Bolivia, Peru, Chile... and in every case I felt that drivers attitudes towards cyclists were much better than the UK and the experience was wholly positive.
I think there is a large number of drivers of vehicles in the UK that have forgotten that they must give way to lesser forms of transport (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycles). Check the highway code!
At least one EU country has it in law that a car/lorry driver is automatically at fault in any accident involving a cyclist - go figure.

Can i say you to poor asholes that drive cars and are completely so far up your own arses that a poor cycclist has been killed. Unfortunatley we have to put up with your arrogant attitudes! IF YOU CAN NOT SEE SOMETHING ON THE ROAD INFRONT OF YOU-YOU SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED INFRONT OF A WHEEL! NO MATTER WHAT THE CONDITIONS! Most drivers do not know what happens when the push those pedals, you have a 1-2 ton weapon, and yopu blame a cyclist! you drive fast in conditions you can not handle...2 cars in fog? You ARSHOLES DARE TO COMMENT ABOUT A POOR LAD ON A BIKE THAT GOT HIT BY 2 CARS! Tou should be ashamed of yourselves. My condolences to him and his family from a cyclist who has put up with idiots on the road for 40 years who speed in conditions and make excuses for there bad behavior! This man lost his life becouse of your ignorance! bring on the law in Europe. Drivers over there respect lesser road users! I apologise for my language! but anyone who has a car and think they are god and can not see what is infront of them need locking up! fog drive SLOW and you will see what is there!

Moonbase wrote:

Guanajuato wrote:
I think Moonbase's username says it all!

A challenge for you Moonbase - try cycling. Then you'll really see who the 'cretanus' (I think the word you're looking for is Cretinous) road users really are.
Because its the CYCLIST's fault when someone tries to turn left through them. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a motorist pulls out from a give way into a cyclist. Its the CYCLIST's fault when a lorry overtakes a cyclist, only to swing across and slam brakes on to stop. Its the CYCLIST's fault when someone drives on the wrong side of the road, forcing them into the hedge. It's the CYCLISTS's fault when, having indicated right and moved into the right hand filter lane, some **** tries to overtake the cyclist turning right. Its the CYCLIST's fault that you are unable to see adequately to drive safely. :Facepalm:

Have you never seen a stream of Taxis going through red lights by the K village? By you're logic, all taxi drivers must therefore deserve to be driven over by an artic.

Your user name is'nt much better.
You come across as a philistine and a very bitter person and don't seem to want to contribute to a tradgic case.
Just yourself,and as for cycling it is none of your business!!!
And as for your ****** in your comment says it all.
A stream of 'Taxis' from K Village.............

...lol no one goes there,I'd love to here a taxi drivers response?
My views were not ment to offend cyclists but only to highlight what i see on a daily basis.
I proposed that educating people on the highway code might help further accidents all you've done is moan.
I suggest that if you feel so hard done to and want a greater presence on the road you should get a bike just like the 'Chuckle Brothers' drive!!!!!
To Me To You

The comment about your username was to suggest you might not inhabit the same planet as the rest of us. And your arrogant, patronising and ignorant attitude does nothing to convince me otherwise.
I suggest it is YOU who should consider educating yourself on the highway code. You appear to have the attitude that cyclists are 'fair game' and its their fault if you're too unobservant.
I simply pointed out several common examples where a motorists selfishness puts a legitimate road user (sticking to the highway code) at mortal risk for the sake of saving a fraction of a second. Which I see on a Daily Basis.
My comment about taxis is that I've been stopped at a red light at the bottom of Parkside road, waiting to go towards roney road when 3 or 4 taxis have gone up the inside lane, through the red light and gone straight on. More than once. That tells me its a fairly common occurrence.

I drive a car and ride a bike but not as often as I drive a car.

The Times, a few weeks ago, started a campaign to protect cyclists, prompted by one of their reporters being hit by a lorry a few months ago - sadly she is still in a coma.

That evening I was in a pub in Skipton when two forty year old men saw the article:

One said " When they pay road tax I'll give them room on the road" and the other replied " Ah, knocked off her bike, poor dear".

My father fought in a war to allow free speech. His friends didn't die for scum to make comments like that (or some of the comments on this page).

The Gazette should just delete them. They are worth nothing .

The 'if cyclists venture on the roads, they should expect to be killed' comments should remain as a testament to the sort of people driving today. One of them even suggested that cyclists should not even use country roads but could possibly be allowed on the roads in built up areas. There is no point discussing anything with such people because they do not even understand the language.
I suspect, but don't know, that things have improved and that fewer cyclists are killed than in the past (difficult to measure because there are many fewer cyclists about than then, and many more drivers) but a few of these nutters remain. These are the ones who believe in their own brilliance.